


Enigmatic Encounters

by VenlaMatleena



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Mind Control, Speed Dating, Working for the enemy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-05-30 02:18:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6404668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenlaMatleena/pseuds/VenlaMatleena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You meet Steve Rogers at a speed date -event. However you have a secret and even though there are sparks... you know that it cannot be... Or can it?</p><p>***<br/>Used the same idea of a speed date for another story so the first chapter is ALMOST identical with the 1st chapter of "From friends to something more".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part one - Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Parts 1 and 2 take place before the movie Captain America; Winter Soldier.  
> I have not been reading Marvel comics so I am sorry if the characters or events do not match the Marvel Universe entirely :D

Part one – Encounter

You stepped inside a bar. It was filled with people. You had promised to go to a speed dating –night with your friend. First time for a long time you were having a weekend off and your friend had made you to give your word that you would join her when there was a speed date –event happening and you were not working. You got a nametag and sat down by a small table. The host explained the rules; the men always moved one table to the left when the alarm went off. There were always five minutes per table to find out if you wanted to get to know each other more.  
The guys did not impress you much, the handsome ones were just too self-absorbed and the not-so-handsome ones were boring. It was a time for a break. You decided to get yourself a drink, there was no way you could survive the second half sober.  
  
You noticed a handsome man surrounded by women. It was Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America. His friend Sam had asked him to be his wingman but had been more like a plot to get him out and possibly meet someone… your case was pretty much the same. He walked to you. You did not tell him that you knew exactly who he was; he probably did not need that BS from every lady in the crowd, besides you were not working.  
\- Having fun? he asked casually.  
\- Uhm… it depends on the definition of “fun”. If getting equally annoyed and bored is being considered as “fun” then sure; I’m having time of my life.  
\- That bad?  
\- Something like that.  
\- I get an impression that you did not come here willingly…  
\- That is correct. I’m here for a friend… who is apparently doing quite well without me. you said and pointed at your friend who was surrounded by guys.  
\- Ah… I see, well, if it makes you feel any better… my situation is very much the same.  
\- Yeah, the only difference is that every girl here would die to get a date with you.  
\- Ha-ha! What makes you say so?  
\- Well… You have the looks, obviously, and since you’re talking with the most unpopular woman here tonight, it means that either you’re planning to embarrass me, or you feel sorry for me…  
\- What?  
\- or… you have a weird taste of women.  
Rogers was speechless.  
\- Relax… I’m only teasing you. you said and chuckled.  
  
You finally got your drink and then the host asked everyone to return to their places. You sat down and looked for the man you had enjoyed talking with the most whole evening. Soon however you had been swept back to the despair and boredom. The man was having fun. He was laughing at the jokes that the women told to impress him. You were annoyed; such a handsome, tall, well-build, polite… man.  
\- Oh, stop it! you said half aloud when the alarm went off again.  
  
\- Well hi there. you heard a familiar voice saying.  
\- Still having fun?  
-Yeah… tremendously. So… Steve… you said as you read his name from his nametag, although you knew his name already.  
\- Are you having fun?  
\- I am now…  
\- Ha-ha! Thanks! you exclaimed.  
\- No… I didn’t mean it like that… I am having fun in the general meaning of the word.  
\- Really?  
\- Yeah… Tell you the truth, after the break, this is the table I’ve been most looking forward.  
\- You’re kidding, right?  
\- No… So… (Y/N)… What do you do for living?  
\- Uhm… nothing too special… I work with computers, quite simple and boring stuff, really. you answered. You were lying partially, but there was a certain line with honesty that you could not cross, not even with your family or closest friends.  
\- And how about you?  
\- Well… nothing that special either. Security…  
\- Ah, should had guessed.  
\- Why?  
\- Well… you look like you were practically living at the gym and you’re too pretty to be bouncer.  
Steve laughed. You shared a lively conversation with him and then the alarm went off again.  
\- Thank you for a lovely chat. you said and smiled. You never felt connection to anyone, mostly because of your work. It was rather dangerous to connect with anyone and the risk that you potentially put your closest ones in… No… you just did not do it.  
  
After a few more boring speed dates it was time to go home. You did not see Steve and figured that he had gone home already. You got your jacket from the cloakroom and saw the handsome guy speaking with your friend. “Figures” you thought to yourself as you walked to her.  
\- Hi… excuse me… you said and got your friends attention.  
\- I’m calling it a night.  
\- Yeah… Steve here came to tell me that he was going to take you home.  
\- Uhm… I did not know that.  
\- Yes… I saw you getting your jacket so I figured that you might need someone to make sure that you’ll get home safely.  
\- Well thank you for that gallant gesture but I can assure you…  
\- It’s not necessary?  
\- Yes… it really isn’t. I’m not a damsel in distress kind of girl. you told him smilingly. Steve smiled back.  
\- It will be my pleasure. he said and it was obvious that he wasn’t going to take a no for an answer.  
\- Very well. you said and wished your friend goodnight.  
  
You walked slowly with Steve. It was spring and trees were blooming. You were almost wishing that things were different, that you were different. It was nice to connect with someone. You stopped in a park for a moment to sit under a tree on a bench. The atmosphere was relaxed but there were sparks between you two.  
\- You seem far too interesting for a boring office-work… What is it that you really do? he asked suddenly.  
\- Ha-ha! I never said I work in an office.  
\- Right… he chuckled. Steve found you mysterious; he bet even your secrets had secrets and you were trapped with them eating you alive. Inside out.  
  
\- Tell me a secret about yourself. he asked.  
\- Excuse me?  
\- Please don’t get offended, but you seem like a very… restricted person, but on the other hand I feel that you would like to share it with me… I am a complete stranger, and whatever it is… you can rest assured that I’ve heard worse.  
\- Alright… Only if you tell me a secret about yourself first. you said after thinking about it for a moment.  
\- Very well… I haven’t connected with anyone like this for a long time.  
\- That isn’t really a secret… it was a statement… and likewise.  
\- Okay… I am attracted to you…  
\- A statement, not a secret. Likewise.  
\- Well fine, but your secret better be a good one… he said and smiled shyly at you.  
\- Oh it is…  
\- I was born almost hundred years ago…  
\- Well, if it makes you feel any better; you look very good for your age. Well-preserved.  
\- Haha, thanks! And your secret? he asked. You chuckled nervously.  
\- Uhm…  
\- Come on, your secret is safe with me. he said because you looked very hesitant; as if you were battling with yourself whether you should say the thing you wanted to say. Then you decided to go for it.  
\- Talking with you has made me question what I do for living…  
\- What do you mean?  
\- I’ve always thought that what I do, is somewhere in the gray area in the scale of good and bad… but… shit! you said and stood up. You looked around you with an almost desperate look on your face.  
\- What’s wrong?  
\- I can’t do this. I’m sorry. you said suddenly and then walked away leaving Steve alone in the park confused.


	2. Part two - Enigma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Steve Rogers again... but this time the circumstances are a little problematic.

Part two - Enigma

”Security breach” Jarvis announced. Nick Fury cursed and typed the keyboard frantically. It was the third time that week that S.H.I.E.L.D’s database had been hacked. The hacker was someone who used an alias “Enigma”. Steve “Captain America” ran to the command centre when the red lights went off in the headquarters. He was quickly accompanied by Clint “Hawkeye” Barton and Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff.  
\- The only way the hacker can access this system is from inside this building! Find him! Fury commanded. Rogers nodded and ran to the screens that held every camera in the building. He was looking for someone who did not look familiar or behaved strangely. When the red lights were on, no one was supposed to leave the building and report to Jarvis his or hers location. When the person had been located, there was a green mark on top on that person on the screen and that mark followed that person when he or she moved in the building.  
  
Rogers noticed someone. That person had no mark and was approaching the main entrance. The person jumped over the waist-high gate, that opened only when a person either successfully logged in or out the building by scanning ones ID-card in the reader. For some reason Rogers did not alarm the security but ran after the hacker himself.  
The hacker had blonde short hair and was wearing black pants and bright yellow jacket. When Enigma got out from the building, after fighting off the front desk security, she took the jacket off and threw it away. She knew that the security would be looking for someone with a jacket of that color. She had a motorcycle parked right next to the front door and she started it. Rogers ran out and threw his shield. The shield hit the vehicle and it almost fell. Rogers got into a car and the chase started.  
  
The hacker was you. You cursed when you saw the black car following you. This was not the first time you were stealing data from S.H.I.E.L.D but the previous times you had not been noticed. It had been almost too easy. Now the karma was having her payback day and it was kicking your ass mercilessly.  
You turned the corner. Fuck! It was a dead end. You lived in New York and Washington DC was unfamiliar to you. You ditched the motorcycle and started to climb the fire escape. Rogers stepped out of the car.  
  
\- You know you will not be able to escape, so why try? Rogers shouted. He was frustrated to chase you since it was obvious that there was no escape this time. He followed you onto the rooftop. The building was next to the river.  
\- Just stop, okay? There is no escape. he said and put his shield down as a sign of peace offering.  
\- You shouldn’t had done that. you said. He looked at you with a question on his face. You ran towards him and kicked him making him fall down by surprise. He got up and reached for his shield. You extended your arm towards the shield and motioned it to move further away. It did. Rogers attacked but did not want to hurt you when he noticed that you were a girl. He wanted to capture you alive and as unharmed as possible and ask some questions. You fought for a moment and then ran to the edge of the building.  
\- You will never catch me, stop trying! you shouted and looked down. It was a long way down to the river.  
\- Wait… You will not survive that jump, just calm down… I think I know you, I’m sure you have a good reason for hacking into our system… he said and took one step closer. You looked down a hesitating look on your face.  
\- Who do you work for? he asked.  
\- The right question to ask, Captain, is who do YOU work for. you said, Rogers said “what?” half aloud.  
When he got close enough to catch you, you jumped.  
  
The hit to the water was painful and all air got pressed out from your lungs. You stopped sinking in the murky depths and started to swim under the water. Rogers did not have to know whether you had been killed or not. You focused your mind and controlled your heartbeat so you were able to dive a long way until you were under a bridge. There you got to the surface.  
  
Rogers was almost sure that you had died because surely no one could had held their breath as long as you had. He got back to the office and reported that you had most likely died. Nick Fury ordered a body sweep to the river but eventually they had to stop looking since the body was not found.  
  
You kept low profile for a moment and focused hacking into Tony “Iron Man” Starks systems. Your alias was “Riddle” because Enigma was too dangerous to use for now. Stark called Rogers and asked if he knew anything about the “Riddle”. Rogers answered “no” but after the call he started to think that maybe there was a link.  
  
Who were you then? You had been trained by an organization, much like Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D, the organization itself was in the gray area in the bad guys-good guys scale. You had never killed anyone since you mainly hacked into databases but you acknowledged that the work that you did made it possible for the assassins and radicals to operate their missions.  
You had gotten into the business when you had been broke and seen an ad that promised a great compensation for one person who would take part to a science experiment. You had applied and got in. The test had started with a mild dosage of a drug that increased the energy flow through your brain and unlocked all parts of it. You got incredibly smart and even got the ability to move objects with your mind. You had also been trained to be skillful in combat and since your brain was working to it maximum capacity, it meant that your body was able to defy aging and heal and cope with injuries more efficiently than normally.  
  
The organization kept you in short leash by weekly dosage of that drug. You had been told that if you did not get that drug, your body would start dying. The downside was that there was no knowing whether the changes were permanent or not and if not, what damage would it cause to return to your old self, or that was what they had told you. The changes were permanent, but if you did not get the drug, you got terrible fever and headache that passed in few days, however you had never dared to try because it felt like dying.  
  
After meeting Steve Rogers at the speed-dating –event, you had started to question the things that the organization you worked for had told you. You had been told that the Avengers were serving the big corporations and without the organization there would not be balance. This you believed because there was something in the drug that switched off the skeptical side of your brain. You were like a highly intelligent robot programmed to do a certain job.  
You had copied all the files of the organization when you had decided to lower the dosage of the drug. It was terrible to notice how wrong you had been. You were constantly thinking about all the people who had died as casualties in the operations that you had made possible with stealing data and hacking the security systems. Your hands were red from the blood. Your bosses had noticed that your mind was not as focused as before. They had decided to kill you. “We are changing the medication” they had said. “From now on you have to take only this yellow pill once a week and nothing more”. You took the bottle of pills and put it into your bag.  
  
You decided that you would upload every bit of information to the cloud drive and then hack the Stark Towers network. You would tell them all you knew and then after it had been done, you would take the yellow pill and kill yourself. You were not going to get any further medication from the organization anyway, so either way you were dead. You had reasoned that maybe with the yellow pill it would be quicker and less painful.  
You were on the rooftop. The sun was setting and you had a visual to the Stark Tower. You opened the connection and bypassed all the firewalls and Jarvis. You were not wearing a mask or wig this time and you were easily recognizable. Rogers, Romanoff and Barton were visiting Stark so they saw the “presentation” as well.  
  
\- Good evening. you started. Stark cursed when you hijacked his screens.  
\- My name is (Y/N) and I’m also known as Enigma and Riddle. I’ve been stealing data from Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D for some time now. I have been working for an organization that has used this data against the free people of this world. you confessed and paused.  
\- I am sorry, Mr. Stark for hijacking Jarvis, as a nerd like you, I know how frustrating it must be, but I can assure you that my motives and reasons are heavy enough, so please hear me out.  
\- I have destroyed every bit of data that I’ve stolen and I’ve now uploaded to the cloud drive every bit of data that exists about the organization that I’ve been working for. I’ve never personally killed anyone, but I am aware that I have been assisting many missions that carried one goal and one goal only; to bring mass destruction and chaos in this world. I have added mission logs where you can see all the data about the missions and who with which aliases have participated in them. You may judge me by my track record. you said and took a deep breath.  
\- Why I’m telling you this now is that the people that I’m working for have decided to eliminate me because I’ve become unreliable and a threat. You see… I am a science experiment, that’s how it all started for me. Even though it does not make any difference, I’ve been working in the belief that I was doing the right thing. The drug that I’ve been taking to enhance my brain capacity has been equally blocking the skeptical part of my brain. I have been told that if I stopped taking the drug, I would die slowly and painfully. However, due to personal reasons I recently dared to lower the dosage and started to realize that all that they’ve said has been a lie and their justifications for their actions have been wrong. you continued.  
  
\- You will find all information about this drug and its properties from the files. It is all there. It is my time to sign off as my employers have planned. This yellow pill is supposed to supersede the drug that I have been taking once a week during these three years of service, but I am quite sure that this yellow pill is meant to kill me… The way I see it I have only two options; I’ll die slowly and painfully without the drug or I’ll take this pill and hopefully it will be somewhat quick and painless. I am a coward and I’m taking the yellow exit. you said and it looked like you were going to cry soon, but you had decided not to cry so you did not. It was time end the broadcast.  
\- One thing… S.H.I.E.L.D has been infested with Hydra… you might want to take a look at that. Anyway… This is it… you said and raised your glass.  
\- I will raise this toast for the destruction of my former employers. you looked at the camera for one last time as you put the pill in your mouth and washed it down with the drink. You turned the camera off. You had hoped that you would had found some kind of peace before taking the pill but you figured that you would get cold feet if you waited any longer.  
  
At the Stark Tower Steve Rogers asked Tony Stark to play the transmission again. He recognized the place and told Stark to fly there and bring you to the tower. You needed to be questioned and maybe the affects of the yellow pill could be reversed. Jarvis had after all found the chemical compound of the pill and it was poisonous just as you had suspected. Jarvis also found an antidote and gave instructions to the lab to make it.  
You fell down as your feet went numb. Your heart was beating slower as your brain tried to fight against the poison and prevent it spreading quickly. The last thing you saw when your world went black was something flying towards the building. Then your heart stopped completely.


	3. Part three - Evolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surviving is great but the guilt doesn't seem to leave you.

Part three - Evolution

You woke up to a steady sound of beeping machines. You were in a hospital of some sort.  
\- How are you feeling? you heard someone asking.  
The lights hurt your eyes and felt an urge to cover them. As you tried to raise your arm, you noticed that your wrist had been cuffed to the bed. You tried to raise your other hand and it was the same thing. You focused your mind and turned off the lights in the room. Alright, you still had your mental abilities. The man asked again and this time you were able to recognize the voice; it belonged to Steve Rogers.  
\- Why? you asked as a short version from “why the fuck am I still alive?”  
\- We were lucky enough to come up with an antidote before it was too late.  
\- Lucky? I see no luck in that. you muttered.  
\- By the way, you saved a million people by telling us that Hydra had been growing inside S.H.I.E.L.D. he said and smiled slightly.  
\- Hydra was planning to eliminate everyone who was a threat or was going to be a threat in the future… and S.H.I.E.L.D. does not exist anymore… you have been in coma for almost two years.  
\- Two years?  
\- Yes… not that time would matter to you since you’re basically immortal.  
\- Did you… destroy the organization? you asked.  
\- Yes. They were planning to kill a lot of people with nerve gasses but we managed to stop them, thanks to you again…  
\- I know what you’re doing…  
\- And what would that be?  
\- You’re trying to make me feel better… but please stop trying. It’s not going to work.  
\- I believe you have read about Clint Barton and how he worked for Loki because his mind…  
\- I have seen the reports, yes…  
\- Many people died… but it was not his fault…  
\- Because his mind had been hijacked? you asked and chuckled.  
\- Your case is hardly any different.  
\- Tell that to all the victims who are now dead because I gave the launch codes of missiles to the people who did not hesitate to push the go-button.  
\- No… you do not understand. The drug they made you to take made it impossible for you to question the orders you had been given. If they had told you that you could fly, with the dosage you had been given, you would had been confident enough to jump off a building. said Bruce “Hulk” Banner who entered the room.  
  
\- You should listen to the doctor. Rogers stated.  
\- Why am I alive? I was supposed to die without the drug…  
\- It was not true. Another lie to keep you in a short leash and since your brain had been disabled to question the orders; you kept taking the drug that kept you taking the drug. Any enhancements that had happened in the experiment had been locked in permanently…  
\- But… I once forgot to take the pill and I got the worst headache ever… I was unable to do anything…  
\- Yes… withdrawal symptoms that were supposed to simulate dying and make it less tempting to not to take the drug as ordered.  
\- Whatever… I knew exactly what I was doing…  
\- Yes… but you were completely unable to tell whether your actions were morally right or not.  
\- I don’t really care… you said and turned your head away.  
\- You should lock me away for the rest of my life… you continued. Banner left the room.  
\- Or… you could become an Avenger. Most of us have been on the both sides of the coin… Stark for example… think about the way he has made his fortune. Rogers stated.  
\- Lock me up. you said and felt anger building inside you. It caused the bed to start shaking and the nurse had to give you a strong sedative.  
  
You woke up in a cell of some sort. Rogers had brought you some newspapers about the major events you had prevented. You turned the pages with your mind and were interrupted when Rogers entered the room.  
\- The door isn’t locked, you know. he said as he came in.  
\- Doesn’t matter.  
\- Have you planned to stay in this room for a long time?  
\- The rest of my life, I suppose.  
\- Well… that will be a long time! Do you know that you’re not aging, not now and not in the future either?  
\- Right…  
\- Yes… but… it’s not what I came to talk to you about.  
\- Figured.  
\- At the bar… did you know who I was?  
\- Yes.  
\- And still you decided to talk with me.  
\- Yep, you see, I was having a day off.  
\- So you were a “bad guy” only when on duty?  
\- I paid my taxes and recycled… I even carried the shopping bag of my old neighbor once or twice… what’s your point?  
\- You told on the video that your view towards the organization changed because of personal reasons. Did that have something to do with talking with me that day?  
\- Maybe, what’s your point?  
\- Why?  
\- Because I was told that the Avengers were the most unfriendly and selfish people, serving only big corporate, trying to make profits for the people that already had everything by taking from the people who had nothing to begin with.  
\- I see…  
\- But then I met you… the first Avenger… the man who in his own words “only tries to do the right thing and always has”. I’ve read your files…  
\- Why did you not come to talk to me, maybe I could had helped…  
\- Having the same enemy doesn’t necessarily make us friends.  
\- Things could be different…  
\- Sure… you commented sarcastically.  
\- Things can still be different. That is, if you are brave enough to leave this room and face the world.  
\- Fine… I’ll think about it. you said and asked him to leave.   
  
After a week you decided to start paying your dept. You started to train and went on missions with the other Avengers. You were reckless about your own life, risking it unnecessarily. You had not been crying since the science experiment and you were emotionally done because all pain and guilt and sorrow were bottled up inside you. After one mission that had almost claimed your life, Rogers ordered everyone else to leave the room.  
\- Not you, (Y/N). he said angrily. You stopped and stared at him with a blank look on your face.  
\- You don’t care about your life, do you?  
You stayed silent, the answer was obvious; no.  
\- Do you understand that I value your life and you put my life at risk when you don’t value yours? I have better things to do than babysit you so you would not get yourself killed!  
You focused your mind to control your emotions and heart rate that was climbing as you felt your cool exterior cracking piece by piece. You had been working as an Avenger for almost one year and six months. You crossed your arms and pressed your long nails against the bare skin of your sleeveless arm. The physical pain made it easier for you to shift your mind away from the emotional pain. Rogers saw the struggle you were in and walked closer to you. He stood there, tall and solid as a wall. You kept your ground for a moment but then it became too challenging. As you were about to walk away, he put his hands on your shoulders and kept you in place.  
\- What do you want from me? you exclaimed. He pulled you in his arms and did not let go even though you tried to fight him. You could not hold it in anymore and burst into tears. You cried hopelessly for a long time. Then you calmed down and wiped the remaining tears off your eyes. When Rogers let you go you felt lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You nodded as a sign that you were okay.  
  
You returned to the Avengers Tower, previously known as Stark Tower, and from that day on you cared about your life and started to build a new one. It took a year to build strong, deep friendships with other Avengers. It wasn’t like they did not want to be your friends, it was more like you being too scared of rejection to actually put yourself out there.  
  
You were secretly attracted to Rogers. More than attracted; in love with him. You kept yourself in check when you were with him but especially the training sessions were getting harder to endure. You knew that his touch was entirely professional, when he held you against him and you were supposed to fight to get away, you would had wanted to stop fighting. There was no way you could had told him. He was your boss in a way after all and even though he said that your dept had been paid a long time ago, you kept reminding yourself that after everything you had done… there was no way he would find you attractive… again. You wished you could go back to the speed date –evening and start all over. You would do so many things differently this time.  
  
It was a training day. Rogers enjoyed training with you because… well, you had no idea, but for some reason he did. He walked in the training room in his training pants and a tight t-shirt. You were playing “stab-stab” with wooden blunt knives. You both had one and then you fought. The goal was to “kill” the other by “stabbing” them. There were an extra rule; if you managed to “cut” the other player in a vital artery or vein, they had five minutes on the clock before they bled out and they died. You had agreed that since Rogers was not using the shield, you could not use your skill to move things with your mind.  
  
You both joked about something before the first attack. You had never won because Captain Rogers was just too fast. You were smart, sure, able to predict his moves, correct again, but his strength and speed were something that you were unable to match. This time you had decided to win. You had focused your mind to it and analyzed all his weaknesses. You let him dominate the fight as always but then, after a couple of warm-up fights and fifteen minutes of the main course you managed to distract him, make him lose his balance and fall down. You sat on him, with your legs on both sides of his hips and said  
\- Stab, stab, stab. as you mimicked stabbing three times in his chest with the wooden training stick-knife. The last stab was right “into” his heart and you felt accidentally how fast it was beating.  
\- You’re dead. I won! you stated. Then he suddenly rolled over and you ended up dropping the “knife” as your back was pushed against the floor. He pinned your hands against the training mat and kept you tightly in place with the weight of his body.  
\- You’re cheating! you exclaimed and decided to disregard the rules of the game. You focused your mind on the knife that was laying next to you. It rose up, but your plan was noticed and he reacted by pressing his lips against yours. Your mind got distracted and you dropped the knife.  
  
He pulled his lips away but stayed very close panting with his eyes closed. Natasha Romanoff walked in and Rogers got up and helped you up as well.  
\- Well-well-well… she started. Rogers cleared his throat.  
\- It was a damn time you two…  
\- I won… but Captain Rogers cheated. Nothing else happened.  
\- Oh, you’re playing again that game of yours…  
You managed not to blush but you saw that Rogers face was red as a tomato. You left the room telling yourself that it was nothing more than a distraction. He ran after you.  
\- You know that you cheated! you said as you turned. He wrapped his arms around you and kissed you again. This time he did not pull away but waited for your reaction. You answered to his kiss and wrapped your arms around him.  
\- What are you doing? you asked when he let go of your lips to catch his breath.  
\- I could ask you the same thing… he mumbled and pressed you against the wall.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just final words for this story.

It had been almost five years since the first kiss that had finally swept you off your feet and made you see that there was love for you in the world after everything you had done. You felt bad sometimes for your past of course, but very rarely nowadays. You had kept working with the Avengers and forged strong friendships; so strong that you knew that they were there for you even when you were troubled or lost. You had never experienced friendships like that or love like Steve’s.

Steve was a true gentleman from start to finish, from head to toes and showed you kindness even when you had screwed up. He was patient and warm, polite and firm which was a good thing because in your mind there was sometimes a chaos that raged on and on. Steve made you feel calm and safe, although you did not admit that you needed someone to look after you. You were an Avenger after all but still it was nice… no, wonderful to lay next to him after a long day and stare into his eyes until you fell asleep. Waking up with him was equally wonderful.

You loved the way he kissed you. His mind was always focused on you and he did not get distracted. He kissed you always with deep affection and respect which made you feel appreciated and reminded you that he was the one who really got you, understood you and even after a heated disagreement he never left and when you did, he ran after you. It was important for him never to fall asleep or part ways angry or sad because in your line of work you never knew what happened or if either one of you did not get to return home. It scared you sometimes.

The reason why you had kept to yourself before had been the fear for loving someone so deeply that life after them would not be possible or it would be painful at least. You had been afraid of rejection, you had been afraid of showing your feelings, you had been afraid of many things but it had changed after you had gathered courage to admit yourself that you loved him. After the first kiss you had gone on many dates but there had not been any traditional “let’s see how it goes” –casual dating for either of you. You had known from the first kiss on that he, Steve Rogers, was the one you wanted to build your life with and perhaps marry someday. There had been rougher times and easier times but you had always pulled through them together. He had not given up on you and you had never given up on him.

And now, five years after the first kiss you were sitting next to Steve by a table, listening to Tony giving a speech. You laughed and clapped as he was trying his best to embarrass Steve, just like Natasha had tried and succeeded to embarrass you with her speech. You looked around and saw all the most important people sitting around a large table. There weren’t that many people present because you both shared the same friends and both of your families had died already. It however did not matter because what mattered was sitting on your right side, holding your hand under the table, squeezing it tightly so you were able to feel the fresh wedding ring that circled his ring finger.


End file.
